Head Chef - Fourways

Craven Cottage CC; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 401,760 - 669,600; Full time

Job summary

Craven Cottage CC in Gauteng is seeking a Head Chef to lead our busy kitchen, keeping a hands-on presence on the floor and mentoring the team to deliver excellence.

You will maintain exceptional food quality, consistency, and presentation, while driving menu development, stock control and operational efficiency to ensure a premium customer experience across all service periods.

Qualifications

• Formal culinary diploma or certification is required.
• Proven leadership experience in head chef or senior sous chef roles.
• Strong knowledge of HACCP and food safety standards.
• Ability to manage high-pressure services and delegate tasks.
• Solid understanding of cost control and inventory management.

Responsibilities

• Lead kitchen operations and coach the team on the shop floor.
• Ensure exceptional food quality, presentation, and service.
• Develop and implement kitchen procedures and standards.
• Coordinate with front-of-house to deliver a premium guest experience.
• Drive menu planning, recipe development, and culinary innovation.

Skills

Leadership

Coaching & Mentoring

Restaurant Kitchen Ops

Quality Control

People Management

Education

Diploma in Professional Cookery / Culinary Arts

Job description

Duties

Culinary Leadership & Kitchen Operations

• Remain actively involved within the kitchen operation and lead from the front. While administrative responsibilities form part of the role, the majority of their leadership should be visible through coaching, mentoring and operational involvement on the kitchen floor.
• Remain connected to food quality, team performance, service execution and operational standards at all times.
• Lead and oversee all back-of-house kitchen operations to ensure consistent execution to culinary standards.
• Ensure exceptional food quality, consistency, presentation and service execution across all kitchen functions.
• Drive operational efficiency, workflow optimization and service readiness during all trading periods.
• Develop and implement kitchen operational procedures, systems and standards.
• Maintain oversight of food preparation, production schedules and kitchen organization.
• Ensure seamless collaboration between kitchen and front-of-house operations to deliver an exceptional customer experience.

Menu Development & Culinary Innovation

• Lead menu planning, recipe development and culinary innovation in alignment with brand direction and customer expectations.
• Develop new menu items, seasonal offerings and culinary concepts that support business growth and profitability.
• Maintain awareness of culinary trends, industry developments and customer preferences.
• Ensure all menu offerings meet standards for quality, presentation, consistency and operational feasibility.
• Maintain extensive product knowledge across all menu categories and operational offerings.
• Ensure that innovation never compromises operational consistency, product quality or the customer experience.

Leadership, People Development & Culture

• Lead, coach and develop kitchen leadership teams and staff to build a high-performance culture.
• Identify, mentor and develop talent and succession opportunities within the kitchen operation.
• Conduct regular performance evaluations, coaching sessions and operational reviews with team members.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, professionalism and continuous improvement.
• Address staff challenges, performance concerns and operational conflict professionally and proactively.
• Ensure all kitchen staff receive ongoing operational, culinary and compliance training.
• Develop future Sous Chefs, Head Chefs and Executive Chefs.
• Lead with professionalism, humility and accountability.

Financial Performance & Commercial Management

• Understand that exceptional food quality and strong commercial performance.
• Manage food cost, labour, waste, stockholding and operational efficiencies without compromising the customer experience.
• Take ownership of the commercial performance of the kitchen and ensure that operational decisions support the long-term success of the business.

Compliance, Safety & Operational Standards

• Act as the guardian of kitchen discipline, cleanliness and operational compliance.
• Ensure full compliance with food safety, hygiene, sanitation and OHASA regulations.
• Oversee deep cleaning schedules, kitchen maintenance and operational compliance standards.
• Ensure all kitchen equipment is maintained, operational and safely used.
• Communicate major operational incidents, risks or injuries immediately through the appropriate channels.
• Maintain operational discipline and accountability across all kitchen functions.
• Ensure all operational standards consistently reflect the Pantry brand.

Brand Leadership & Guest Experience

• Play a direct role in shaping the customer experience.
• Responsible for ensuring that food quality, consistency, presentation and service readiness support the premium experience at all times.
• Ensure a consistently high level of customer satisfaction and service delivery.
• Professionally handle customer complaints and service recovery where required.
• Maintain professional grooming, hygiene and presentation standards at all times.
• Remain informed on promotions, business priorities and operational initiatives across the store.
• Demonstrate leadership presence, professionalism and operational excellence at all times.

Requirements

• A formal diploma in Professional Cookery, Culinary Arts, or an equivalent certification.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of proven leadership experience as a Head Chef or Senior Sous Chef.
• Strict, up-to-date compliance with local health regulations and food safety protocols, such as HACCP.
• The ability to lead a team through high‑pressure services, delegate tasks efficiently, and handle staff training.
• Strong commercial awareness including cost control, budget management, menu pricing, and inventory auditing.